Chapter 61: Searching for Traces (2)

“Ugh, what’s wrong with me?”

Even though the sun was high in the sky, he felt completely unmotivated. He was usually unmotivated, but today was particularly bad.

He wanted to stay in bed all day and become one with his blankets.

“Maybe I’ll just be lazy today.”

He snuggled deeper into his bed, but then he heard a knock on the wall.

“Instructor Cho, are you busy?”

“Yes, I’m busy.”

“You don’t sound busy at all.”

“That’s just your imagination. I’m very busy.”

He mumbled a reply, and then he heard, “Excuse me~”

A small head popped through the wall.

“Oh my.”

It was Yeo Mae-hong, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons.

“You’re not busy at all.”

“Can’t you see how busy I am?”

“You look like you’re just lazing around in bed.”

“That’s just your imagination. I’m actually deeply concerned about the peace of the Murim and the future.”

“Really?”

He was, in a way.

His concern for the Murim was about the size of a grain of rice, while his thoughts about his lover were as vast as the Northern Sea.

“I hate to interrupt your grand dreams, but I have a message for you.”

“…What is it?”

“Sister Mo Yong wants to see you tonight.”

“I’m very busy…”

“She said she wouldn’t forgive you if you broke your promise. Do you understand what that means?”

“…”

Right, Mo Yong Seon-ya.

He had promised to treat her to a meal as thanks for her help in persuading her father.

He remembered her words.

*- You’ll regret it for the rest of your life if you stand me up again.*

Her lips had curved into a smile, but her eyes had been cold. He had sensed her determination to make him pay if he dared to break his promise.

‘This is such a pain.’

He didn’t want to make an enemy of her, but he was lazy.

He was about to decline when she said, “She said she’s taking you to her favorite restaurant.”

“Her favorite restaurant? What’s so special about it?”

Did it have a foul-mouthed owner who could kill you with her words? Or was it a place where customers who complained about the food were turned into dumplings?

To his surprise, she said, “It’s rare for Sister Mo Yong to take anyone to her favorite restaurant.”

“It’s just a restaurant…”

“She sometimes takes students who have good grades there, and they all rave about it. It’s quite popular among the girls.”

He suddenly remembered something.

‘Brothel. Shinmu Academy. Delicious food.’

Those were the words his lover had muttered in her delirium when they had been trapped by the Heavenly Destruction Society and had been starving for ten days.

‘Wait a minute… this could be an opportunity.’

If female students frequented this restaurant, he might bump into her.

She had always loved good food, especially spicy food.

His eyes lit up.

“Alright, I’ll go.”

“Really? Hehe, that’s great!”

Yeo Mae-hong beamed.

She was quite cute, but it was a little strange seeing her face floating in the wall.

“By the way, Instructor Yeo…”

He reached out and poked her cheek, and she flinched.

“Huh? What?”

“I have something to tell you.”

“W-what is it?”

Her eyes darted around nervously. It was quite amusing.

He wasn’t going to let her go that easily.

He pinched her cheek and pulled.

“Ow! Ow! That hurts!”

“Where did you learn to stick your head through walls? You scared me.”

He poked and prodded her cheek, and she tried to pull her head back, but she bumped the back of her head against the wall and groaned.

‘This is fun.’

He might make a habit of this.

He would have to tease her whenever he got the chance.

***

He waited in front of the Shinmu Academy, and soon, Mo Yong Seon-ya appeared.

She was wearing her Shinmu Academy uniform instead of the elegant robe he had seen her in recently.

“You look better in that,” he said.

“That’s hurtful. I thought I looked good in feminine clothes.”

“You do. But it’s understandable that you’re more comfortable in your uniform.”

“Hmm, you seem oblivious, but you’re quite…”

Yeo Mae-hong tilted her head as Mo Yong Seon-ya narrowed her eyes.

“What are you talking about, Sister?”

“It’s nothing. I saw Instructor Cho at my clan’s residence. I was just thinking about that.”

She changed the subject, then said, “Hmm, I didn’t expect you to come so willingly. You’re prepared for this, right?”

Yeo Mae-hong flexed her arm.

“I’m ready to eat!”

He could sense her determination to eat as much as possible.

“Why are you so eager to empty my wallet?”

“Because it’s a rare opportunity.”

“That’s right. It’s not every day that Instructor Cho treats us to a meal.”

That was true. He had been freeloading off them quite a bit lately. He supposed he could let them hold his wallet hostage for a day.

“I’m not rich, but I’ll do my best.”

He was a little worried, but he couldn’t back out now.

***

Mo Yong Seon-ya led them to a place not far from the bustling streets of Muhan City.

They walked through several narrow alleys, and then they arrived at a hidden gem.

“Wow.”

“Haha, it’s quite different, isn’t it?”

It certainly was.

The atmosphere was completely different from the main streets.

The main streets were lined with tall, ornate buildings, while the alleys were filled with small, single-story shops.

The air was filled with the aromas of delicious food.

“I didn’t know this place existed.”

“It’s a hidden food street known only to the locals. They’re famous for their skewers.”

He noticed that all the shops had a window where they were grilling skewers, even though their main dishes were different.

“We’ve never come here for a company dinner…”

“Company dinners are paid for with the Shinmu Academy’s funds. When you’re spending someone else’s money, you tend to go to fancier places.”

“That’s true. And the higher-ups prefer fancy places over cozy ones.”

Their answers were surprisingly practical. It seemed like many people avoided the expensive restaurants on the main streets and came to this hidden food street instead.

“That’s surprising. Even the higher-ups must crave cheap and delicious food sometimes.”

Mo Yong Seon-ya and Yeo Mae-hong exchanged knowing smiles.

“That will never happen.”

“The higher-ups avoid this place.”

He asked why, and Yeo Mae-hong replied, “There’s an unwritten rule on Eight Flavors Road.”

Eight Flavors Road.

That was the name of this street.

“If you see a higher-up you know, you throw the bill at them and run.”

“Yep, you just say, ‘Thanks for the meal!’ and disappear.”

So it was basically extortion?

He wondered if any of the higher-ups would refuse to pay.

But apparently, that rarely happened.

“It’s too small an amount to argue over.”

“And it’s so crowded here that if you act stingy, word will spread quickly.”

He could see their point.

The higher-ups of the righteous factions valued their reputation. They wouldn’t want to be known as cheapskates.

Even in a small street like this, there were rules to follow.

“So, I’m the higher-up today?”

“We’ll enjoy the meal, Instructor!”

“Yay! Instructor Cho is the best!”

He raised his fist, basking in their praise.

“Follow me!”

But where were they going?

***

Mo Yong Seon-ya led them to a small tavern.

“This place has the best grilled intestines,” she said.

“It’s so good that the owner’s husband ran away with another woman, but he came back because he couldn’t forget the taste of the grilled intestines.”

It was a place with a dramatic backstory.

‘How does she even know that?’

He listened to the tale of the owner’s family, which spanned three generations, as they entered the tavern. A burly man with a thick beard was tending to the charcoal grill.

He was probably the husband who had run away but had come back for the grilled intestines.

‘He cheated on his wife with that face?’

He couldn’t believe that a woman would be tempted by a man who was half-face, half-beard.

Maybe it was just a story to attract customers.

Mo Yong Seon-ya pointed to the crowded tavern with a smug smile.

“See? I told you it was a good place.”

“It seems busier than usual.”

“It’s probably because of the break. Let’s find a table.”

They entered the tavern, and a narrow passageway opened up before them.

It was so narrow that they had to squeeze past each other, their shoulders brushing against the walls.

“Excuse me.”

“Sorry, coming through.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Yeo Mae-hong, who was the smallest of the three, but also the most… well-endowed, was already exhausted from squeezing through the crowd.

“This place is great, but it’s too cramped.”

He averted his gaze from her disheveled clothes.

“Well, that’s part of the charm.”

Mo Yong Seon-ya, who had navigated the passageway with ease, spotted an empty table and quickly claimed it.

“Auntie, I’m here!”

“Oh, my dear! You’re here with friends today?”

Mo Yong Seon-ya blushed.

“I like to drink alone sometimes.”

He didn’t say anything.

“The usual?”

How did she know what she usually ordered if she only came here “sometimes”?

“No, I have a sponsor today.”

“Oh, how generous.”

“I’ll take everything from here…”

She pointed to a long row of grilled dishes on the wall.

“…to here.”

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” she said with a satisfied sigh.

“Sister, that was so cool! But can we really eat all that?”

“Don’t worry, we have Instructor Cho, with his deep pockets and his bottomless stomach.”

“Excuse me, I’m not a pig.”

He protested weakly, but they just gave him a cold stare.

“You’re the one who ate from my plate because you were still hungry.”

He had no comeback.

***

The table was piled high with grilled intestines and drinks, and the conversation flowed freely.

“You wouldn’t believe how much I’ve been struggling. My father keeps nagging me…”

“Oh my, what happened?”

“The family meetings, the Hidden Moon Flying Thief incident… I’m so busy, but he keeps telling me to get married…”

“That’s right, Euncheon Hall must be in chaos. We lost an instructor, but they lost several senior instructors.”

He munched on skewers, listening to their conversation.

“Nom nom.”

This was good.

“Nom nom nom.”

It was greasy, but the soy sauce marinade was perfect.

“Nom nom nom.”

He looked up and realized he had finished all the skewers.

“You eat a lot.”

“Well, I’m still growing.”

“You’re still growing? Now that you mention it, you do seem taller…”

Mo Yong Seon-ya ordered more food, then asked, “Are you doing okay, Instructor Cho? Everyone’s complaining about how stressful the break is.”

“Not at all.”

“Wow, you’re amazing.”

“I like to get things done ahead of time.”

“Don’t be fooled, Sister,” Yeo Mae-hong interjected.

“Fooled?”

“Student Namgung asked him for help with his training, and he just kicked him away.”

It was his break. He deserved to relax.

“Instructor Cho, don’t you want to pay more attention to the students who are working hard during the break?”

“Why should I interrupt my break to help them with theirs?”

“Wow, you’re the worst.”

They pretended to be horrified, but he didn’t care.

“I disagree with your methods, but I admire your unwavering laziness.”

“Yes, I’m losing sleep over my performance evaluation. Laziness is a talent.”

The conversation continued, filled with the scent of grilled meat and alcohol.

Then, Mo Yong Seon-ya said, “By the way, Mae-hong, have you heard?”

“Heard what, Sister?”

“There’s another vacancy because of this incident. That’s two this year.”

“That’s right. There were the instructors who died last time, and now this Hidden Moon Flying Thief incident.”

“So they’re planning to temporarily fill the positions with instructors from Dongcheon Hall.”

“What? Really?”

Cho Un-hwi’s eyes lit up.

‘This is it.’

“Can you tell me more about that?”